Lawsuit claims wrongful death when man died after surgery

The family of a Bridgeview man who died after undergoing surgery to repair a hernia is suing Advocate Christ Medical Center, a physician’s assistant and a surgeon for what the lawsuit claims is their part in his death.

After his surgery on Dec. 15, 2005, the lawsuit says Jiries Hattar, 61, complained of increased pain in his abdomen, started vomiting and experienced other adverse symptoms.

The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, states that a physician’s assistant didn’t report these symptoms quickly enough and that a doctor should have been called in, in the early morning hours when his symptoms became severe.

The suit also lists Midwest Surgical Group, a physician’s assistant and a general surgeon as defendants in the case.

The lawsuit states that the hospital didn’t adequately staff its hospital with personnel skilled in post-operative care and didn’t diagnosis Hattar quickly enough with inflammation of the colon, which could have in part been caused by the antibiotics Hattar had been taking before surgery, and ultimately contributed to his death.

The operating surgeon should have known to postpone the surgery, the suit says, because of Hattar’s pre-operative antibiotics therapy.

The hospital responded to the suit with a written statement: “As a healing ministry, providing the safest and highest quality care is our top priority. Because this matter is a part of ongoing and/or pending litigation, we are unable to provide a comment at this time.”

Hattar died six days after his surgery, on Dec. 21, 2005. He is survived by his wife, Nariman Hattar and a son and daughter.